Pacific populations being prepared for relocation

Some Pacific Island states are preparing their populations for relocation if climate change claims their homes, and New Zealand appears to be more willing than Australia to accept them.

The impact of climate change on the Pacific was a hot topic at the Pacific Islands Forum leaders summit in Cairns today.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters it was necessary to be blunt about priorities.

The first step was to minimise the impact of climate change, internal relocation was the next consideration and if that failed "a wider international response" would be required.

He stopped short of confirming Australia would be willing to accept people displaced by climate change.

Prime Minister John Key said New Zealand would support countries if it came to relocating people.

"It would be my hope that we would never come to that," he said.

"You're talking about countries being submerged and I haven't seen any advice that that is an imminent likelihood."

Vanuatu Prime Minister Edward Natapei said his country suffered from cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunami.

Two years ago an entire village had to be relocated inland because homes were under water.

However, Mr Natapei said not all of Vanuatu was low-lying and people could be relocated internally. His country would need assistance to do that.

For Kiribati it was a different story, with the government there working to educate and train people so they can move overseas if disaster strikes.

"We are very proud people and my government does not want the people of Kiribati to be relocated as refugees," Kiribati Secretary of Foreign Affairs Tessie Lambourne told reporters.

Mr Rudd said climate change had dominated today's talks and coincided with the release of a report his government had prepared.

The report referred to the particular vulnerability of Pacific Island states to climate change and the need for global action, supporting those nations to build climate resilience and sustainable development.

With 50 percent of the population in Pacific Island states living within 1.5km of the coastline, rising sea levels were not an abstract idea, Mr Rudd said.

Australia would support "practical measures" to help Pacific Island states adapt through taking the Pacific's situation to the world, ensuring better coordination and acting on behalf of the region.

Mr Key said the threat to those countries was why New Zealand was taking climate change seriously.

Niue's Premier Toke Talagi said climate change was a "real problem" in the Pacific and one which "if not reversed, threatens our livelihoods".

Smaller island state leaders have called on developed nations to commit to significant emissions reductions to help prevent climate change.